What impressed me most about the Civic was the immediate sense of control and civility on the road. The ride of the car is controlled and very serious. By that I mean that the rear double wishbone suspension is constantly in check and all of its movements are purposeful. The variable assist power steering is rightly weighted with enough assistance for parking manoeuvres and coupled with good feedback at higher speeds. The brake pedal is reassuringly firm and response is quick from the EX only 4-wheel disc brakes (DX, DX-G and LX revert to a front disc/rear drum brake setup).

The new 1.8L inline 4-cylinder develops 140 hp and 128 lb/ft of torque. If I take the old 115 hp and 110 lb/ft of torque 1.7L engine from the previous Civic, which had 1 177 kg to move, and compare it to this motor and the 1 227 kg that it must lug, the increase in output does not make the Civic any quicker or acceleration times any shorter. I will need more time to explore the powerplant's i-VTEC system to find out when and how I can get the most out of it.

Safety features include dual front, side and side curtain air bags, ABS brakes with electronic brake force distribution, active headrests and seatbelt pre-tensionners.

As I have said, I was sceptical at first about the driveability of the new 2006 Civic, however this short drive has only really served to wet my appetite. I am looking forward to a complete road test in the not too distant future. I will hopefully also be lucky enough to put an Si and its 197 hp 2.0L engine and 6-speed transmission through its paces.

The price range for the Civic was announced shortly after the taping of the video. A base DX sedan starts at $16,800 and a top-of-the-line EX automatic has a sticker price of $23,000.